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A comment on Ask HN: What is really wrong with the US economy, really?.

Re:Ask HN: What is really wrong with the US economy, really? by mark_l_watson on Thursday February 27, 2014 @05:16PM (#7315606)
I would say that the USA economy does not seem so bad right now because of Quantitative easing: a few trillion $$ in the last several years of new money created out of nothing. This has maneuvered housing and stock prices up, fueling a false sense of optimism and more consumer spending.

Long term, we have huge problems in my opinion. Our profligate military spending is going to catch up with us. If we are able to redirect our offshore military spending soon, things might be OK, but I am not hopeful.

Edit: I forgot to give my advice: don't get caught up in consumerism (stop watching TV commercials, don't get a new car every time your brother in law does, etc.). Try to save some of your after tax income. Invest time (and money if needed) in continuing education over your entire life.

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Re:Ask HN: What is really wrong with the US economy, really? by juliangoldsmith on Thursday February 27, 2014 @05:43PM (#7315781)
What about spending on healthcare and pensions? We spend more on each of those than on our military.
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Re:Ask HN: What is really wrong with the US economy, really? by mark_l_watson on Thursday February 27, 2014 @05:49PM (#7315817)
Good point Julian. Spending on healthcare, repairing infrastructure, cost of food stamps, etc. pores money back into our general economy, something that spending money on foreign bases, etc. does not.

One thing: it is very important to wind down the size of our military very slowly because we have made a commitment to supply jobs long term in return for being in the military and the sacrifices that entails. My solution is to bring most service people stationed overseas home as soon as we can manage that - better to spend the money inside the USA while maintaining our employment commitments to people in our military services.

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Re:Ask HN: What is really wrong with the US economy, really? by benched on Thursday February 27, 2014 @05:45PM (#7315794)
Interesting to think a factor could be my grandparents still living their piece of the American Dream.
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